


Coffins and Concern.

by BumbleBeeHoneyLee



Series: In which Rudyard Funn and Eric Chapman are dumb and in love. [3]
Category: Wooden Overcoats (Podcast)
Genre: Communication, Crying, Flirting, Hidden Relationship, Hugging, Kissing, M/M, New Relationship, Panic Attack, Tight Spaces, fear of the dark, good boyfriends being good, hiding in coffin, slight sexual tension, stuck together, touch starved
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-12-28
Updated: 2019-12-28
Packaged: 2021-02-25 02:08:06
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,166
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22008202
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/BumbleBeeHoneyLee/pseuds/BumbleBeeHoneyLee
Summary: “Chapman! I’m perfectly capable of getting my own damn corpses”“You make it sound like you’re going to murder someone.” Eric laughed“If you keep this up I very well might.”
Relationships: Eric Chapman/Rudyard Funn
Series: In which Rudyard Funn and Eric Chapman are dumb and in love. [3]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1392607
Comments: 8
Kudos: 101





	Coffins and Concern.

**Author's Note:**

> comments are the best for my self esteem.

“Chapman!” The door to Chapmans swung open and ricocheted against the wall, the bell overhead chiming in protest “I don’t want your bloody second-hand corpses!”

Eric had realised quiet early on in their … Eric hesitated to call It a relationship – which had only been in effect for a few weeks -that Rudyard wouldn’t suddenly develop manners or courtesy and staring at Rudyard’s angry figure pacing in front of him Eric realised he wouldn’t have it any other way.

“Rudyard, I have no idea what you’re talking about.”

They were still not entirely sure what this was and so it wasn’t public, Eric knew that Rudyard didn’t want everyone in the village to know that he was in bed with the competition – not literally … not _yet_ anyway – So they kept it on the down low.

So as Eric made his way over to Rudyard he made sure to keep a respectable distance so as not to raise the suspicions of those sitting in the waiting room.

“I’m perfectly capable of getting my own damn corpses”

“You make it sound like you’re going to murder someone.” Eric laughed leading Rudyard into his office at the back of Chapmans – more private that way.

“If you keep this up I very well might.” The way Rudyard growled and glared up at him made Eric’s breathing hitch. Storming ahead Rudyard began to rant about whatever Eric had done to make him so angry.

Try as he might Eric couldn’t pay attention to his incoherent ramblings, the way Rudyard’s voice lowered when he was angry, taking on a slight scratch, the way his neck and ears flushed, the intenseness of his movements, it was all very _very appealing._

And the fact that they rarely had a quiet moment together made the thoughts swirling in Eric’s head harder to ignore.

_“I missed you.”_

Turning quickly Eric lent against the closed door and reached out, grasping at the lapels of Rudyard’s suit jacket and pulled.

Rudyard stumbled and used his right arm to brace himself against the door, the other hesitated for a moment before coming to rest against Eric’s neck just at the base of his hair line.

“Really Eric you saw me yesterday.”

“Yes, but that was _yesterday._ ”

“Really Eric you’re incorrigible. I’m trying to be angry at you.”

“Then be _angry_.” Eric raised an eyebrow and sunk his teeth into his lower lip, hoping that Rudyard would get the hint. Rudyard did not, instead of moving toward Eric like he had hoped he moved away and resumed his pacing, ranting, and raving.

Rolling his eyes Eric glanced around the office, taking in the clutter of paper work and number of coffins lined up along the back wall (a showcase of what Chapman had to offer.) finally his eyes landed on his desk in the middle of the room and he began to move towards it.

Eric still had a number of things he had to organise and files to complete, as his mind began to drift tuning out Rudyard’s voice, he felt a shove on his shoulders and found himself pushed against the back wall.

_“Listen to me.”_

Eric’s breath caught in his throat as he felt Rudyard push him harder against the wall, voice coming out in a growl. Rudyard usually wasn’t one for physical intimacy or touch, be it from years of isolation and neglect or a stubborn refusal to interact with other people.

“Sorry.” Eric gasped tipping his head back and resting it against the wall behind him. _Christ Rudyard must realise what he’s doing_ “I just really-“ Eric smirked slightly and ran a hand through Rudyard’s hair “- _Really_ missed you.”

They hadn’t really spent too much time getting intimate with each other on account of the lack of time and the secretive nature of the relationship, so this was a welcome experience. The few kisses they did share had usually been initiated by Eric.

Rudyard however took the lead with this one, leaning forward slightly to place a soft kiss on Eric’s lips “Better?”

“A little.” Eric grinned “One more?”

“Fine fine you incorrigible prick.” Reluctantly Rudyard leaned forward once again placing a gentle kiss to Eric’s lips.

As Rudyard pulled back Eric’s eyes fluttered open “Thank you … I know you’re not really ah you know.”

“I know what?” Rudyard stepped back away from Eric and suddenly it was quite cold in the office.

“Well you’re not really interested.” Eric shrugged glancing down “So thank you for indulging me.”

“Indulg-interes- Eric what are you on about?”

Eric stepped away from the back wall and leaned on one of the ChapmanTM Coffins with a sigh. “It’s alright Rudyard I get It, you’re not one for displays of affecting or kissing or you know all that other stuff and that’s fine by me.” The look on Rudyard’s face confused Eric so he continued. “I’m happy with small kisses and the likes as along as I get to be with you.” 

“What on earth gave you that impression Chapman?” The sound of Rudyard’s footsteps made Eric look up and when he did Rudyard was right in front of him “I mean you are right about the implied ‘other stuff’ I have very little interest in but you-“ Rudyard moved even closer his lips brushing over Eric’s “I am very interested in.” Rudyard punctuated his statement with a kiss less gentle than the others his hand moving past Eric to brace on the coffin and cage him in.

The kiss lasted a few moments longer than the others and when they pulled apart Eric smiled and rested his head against Rudyard’s shoulder with a laugh. “message received.” The only sound in the room was Eric’s laugh and the beating of their heart,

_Click_

The sound of the office door opening shocked them both out of their daze. In a split-second Rudyard grabbed Eric’s shoulder and spun opening the lid of the Coffin, and pushed Eric inside. They crammed into the upright coffin, luckily it was one of the larger ones Chapman’s had on offer but still a single and a tight fit.

Eric’s back hit the hard wood of the bottom of the coffin and as he pulled Rudyard in with him, he used his free hand to pull the lid closed behind them. Eric stilled, listening as the door to the back room creeped open and someone walked in. Rudyard let out a quiet huff into Eric’s neck and rested his head on his shoulder lightly.

It was pitch black and neither could see a thing. Eric would usually be panicking in the dark like this, the world fading, and his sense of direction muddled, his body floating, free falling and disconnected from everything. But he wasn’t alone, and the close quarters of the coffin made that achingly clear.

Rudyard face presses into the crook of Eric’s neck, his own hands resting on Rudyard’s hip and the nape of his neck, and most distractedly the leg presses between his thighs. So, while Eric wasn’t necessarily uncomfortable in this small space pressed so closely to Rudyard, an awkward situation would arise if they didn’t get out of here soon.

Eric tried to concentrate, listening for any movement the person in the room might make. He heard the shuffling of papers and the sound of the chair at the desk being pulled out, he concluded that it was in fact his assistant that had entered and that they would be here for a while. 

After a few moments of silence, the loudest sound being the scratching of pen on paper, Rudyard shifted, and Eric had to bite down on his bottom lip as Rudyard thigh brushed against him. Huffing Eric leant down to Rudyard’s ear and muttered a very quiet _“Don’t.”_ Breath catching in his throat.

The touch hadn’t been much but the thought of it, of this. Was a lot and Eric nearly shuddered at the images flashing in the back of his mind. For Christ sake they were pressed together in a coffin in his office while someone was sitting at the desk across the room. They could be caught at any moment, so thing had to stay PG, but Christ alive Rudyard was making it hard, in more ways than one. Rudyard didn’t seem to notice the suggestive nature of their position pressed so tightly together and simple rolled his eyes and rested his head on Eric’s shoulder.

Eric couldn’t stop his hips from thrusting forward slightly the pressure between his legs making his face flush and his breath catch. As small a shift as it was, it was enough, Rudyard muttered a small “ _Oh.”_ into Eric’s neck as he felt the bulge pressed against his thigh. Rudyard stiffened, hands gripping onto Eric’s shirt _“Now is not the time.”_

Shaking his head Eric pushed the thoughts of Rudyard to the back of his mind, filing away the feel of him pressed against him in a corner of his mind for later. As time passed Eric quickly realised that while his intense thoughts about Rudyard were inappropriate for the situation at hand, they also seemed to have been acting as a barrier and as he grew more comfortable with Rudyard being so close, he grew less comfortable in the dark.

He’d had this nightmare before (He’d also had this dream before but that usually contained less clothing and more kissing.), but this was real, so real and Eric felt ... well he just felt.

He felt the tightness of his shirt collar around his neck, he felt the rub of his trousers against his legs, he felt the lack of air in the coffin, and he felt Rudyard’s stare boring into him. More than that he felt so overwhelmed with emotions he couldn’t categorise or name any of them.

His head spun, and he would have swayed on his feet if he could, as those feelings swirled in a messy haze clouding his brain. That same haze made its way into his lungs and suddenly he couldn’t seem to catch his breath.

Little did he know Rudyard was in a similar state. But It wasn’t the dark creating monsters in his head it was the touch. Every inch of his body felt like it was burning, he felt an itch beneath his skin and had he been alone he would have scratched until there was blood and flesh under his fingernails. The fact that it was Eric made it both better and worse and when Rudyard heard the person at the desk stand and leave after about five minutes, he breathed out a sigh of relief.

_“I think they’re gone.”_

And suddenly Eric vision blurred as Rudyard opened the coffin lid, light blinding him for a moment as both he and Rudyard stumbled out of the coffin, Eric fell to his knees and tugged at his collar. Each sharp inhale was followed by a quick exhale and within seconds he was hyperventilating, a hand clutching his chest.

“Christ Eric, I think you’re having a panic attack!” Rudyard moved into action.

Eric didn’t hear him or at least couldn’t make out what exactly he had said, it was muddled by his brain which was still fuzzy and not quite right. Subconsciously his hand reached up at tugged at his shirt collar undoing the first few buttons as if that would stop the burning in his lungs and the panic in his brain.

_“Focus on me.”_

Eric felt the gentle puff of Rudyard’s breath on his cheek, the brush of Rudyard’s unruly hair brush across his face, the soft pressure of the man’s hand on his shoulder, and the world fell back into place.

Piece by piece Eric came back to himself.

“Christ this is embarrassing.” Eric sighed wiping tears from his cheeks with the back of his hand. The panic seemed so foolish now. “Sorry about that Rudya-“ His sentence cut off as he felt thin arms wrap around him in a loose hug.

“It’s quite alright Chapman, everyone has a weakness and now I finally know yours.” Eric pressed his face into Rudyard neck.

“Everyone hmm, What’s yours?”

There was a moment of silence between them as Eric leant into the embrace with a soft exhale as the tension left his body, “This …” Rudyard gestured to their hugging bodies his face flushing as his brain substituted ‘this’ with ‘ _you’_ “Touching, It’s not my favourite.”

Eric quickly pulled away heart growing heavy “Oh I’m so sorry I’ll-.” He started to pull away fully, but Rudyard held on tighter.

“No, it’s quite alright, I need to get better at it if I’m going to be your boyfriend.”

As Eric’s worry began to fade so did the tension in Rudyard’s body as he grew more comfortable with the contact.

“Maybe but … do it in your own time not mine. I don’t need you to hold me to know that you care … I just need you around.”

“Alright I think I can do that.”


End file.
